How spinal cord stimulation changes brain connections in chronic pain
Official title: Brain Connectivity Changes with Spinal Cord Stimulation Treatment of Chronic Pain: A Resting State NIRS/EEG Study
Funded at Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center · NIH-11353049 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Using harmless brain recordings (near-infrared light and EEG), researchers will look at how spinal cord stimulation affects brain connections in people with chronic neuropathic back pain.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cleveland, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| NIH project number | 5I21RX004389-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11353049 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are veterans with refractory chronic neuropathic back pain who are either undergoing an SCS trial or have had an implanted SCS device for at least six months.
✕Less likely to help
People with non-neuropathic pain types, unstable medical or psychiatric conditions, or who cannot undergo EEG/fNIRS recordings may not benefit or qualify for this study.
What this research studies
You will have noninvasive resting-state brain recordings using near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and EEG before, during, and after spinal cord stimulation. The study enrolls two groups: people trying an SCS trial for the first time and long-term SCS users who have had a device for six months or more. Researchers will compare brain connectivity patterns to look for signals that link SCS to pain relief. The goal is to find a brain signature that might explain who benefits from SCS and why.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help predict which patients will get meaningful pain relief from spinal cord stimulation and guide treatment choices.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have shown that chronic pain and SCS can change brain connectivity, but using combined resting-state fNIRS and EEG to produce reliable biomarkers for predicting SCS response remains relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center
Cleveland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pundik, Svetlana — Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Pundik, Svetlana
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.